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Signed Second-Round Picks Now Count Against Cap

July 31st, 2025 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

Between July 1 and July 30 of each NBA league year, a player signed using the second-round pick exception doesn’t count toward his team’s cap, but that changes as of July 31. Beginning on Thursday, each of the second-rounders signed using that exception will begin carrying 2025/26 cap hits.

[RELATED: 2025 NBA Draft Pick Signings]

The effect this will have on teams around the league is negligible. The only club still operating below the cap is Brooklyn, but the Nets didn’t make any second-round picks in this year’s draft and haven’t signed any second-rounders that were stashed from previous drafts, so this change won’t reduce their cap room at all.

The Nets are far from the only NBA team that hasn’t signed a second-round pick to a standard contract this offseason. In fact, only 11 of the league’s 30 clubs have done so.

The Suns, Magic, Hornets (two picks), Sixers, Lakers, Pistons, and Pacers made the top eight selections of the 2025 second round and have signed those players to standard deals, while the Pelicans (No. 40 pick Micah Peavy), Kings (No. 42 pick Maxime Raynaud), Cavaliers (No. 49 pick Tyrese Proctor), and Hawks (2024’s No. 43 pick Nikola Djurisic) have joined them. The rest of this year’s second-rounders are either still unsigned, will play overseas, or agreed to two-way contracts.

None of those 11 teams surpassed an apron threshold as a result of their second-rounders’ new cap hits. For example, the Cavs would be well over the second apron with or without Proctor on their books.

Since none of those teams will see their ability to make other roster moves affected by the new cap charges, this is really more of a housekeeping note than anything.

Eastern Notes: Peter, Krejci, Pistons, Sixers

July 28th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Taelon Peter‘s two-way contract with the Pacers will cover two seasons, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks at Sports Business Classroom. Peter, the 54th overall pick in this year’s draft, is the fourth 2025 second-rounder to a sign a two-year, two-way contract, joining Rocco Zikarsky (Timberwolves), Javon Small (Grizzlies), and Kobe Sanders (Clippers).

Peter’s two-way deal includes a $85,300 partial guarantee for now, but half of his full $636,435 salary will become guaranteed if he remains under contract through the start of the regular season, Hoops Rumors has learned.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Hawks guard Vit Krejci is the lone active NBA player named to the preliminary Czech roster for this year’s EuroBasket tournament, notes Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com (Twitter link). Veteran guard Tomas Satoransky, who appeared in 388 NBA games from 2016-22, is among the other notable names representing the Czechs.
With oddsmakers considering the Pistons the betting favorites to land Cam Thomas if he leaves Brooklyn, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press explores the possibility of the restricted free agent guard landing in Detroit but expresses skepticism it will happen. As Sankofa notes, Thomas isn’t an obvious fit on a roster that already features multiple ball-dominant guards (Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey) and likely “doesn’t check enough boxes to justify the expense.” Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (YouTube link) also recently checked in on the Pistons as a possible suitor for Thomas and found nothing doing.
In a mailbag for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Keith Pompey fields questions on Joel Embiid‘s and Paul George‘s trade value, why Guerschon Yabusele wasn’t moved in February if the Sixers were going to let him walk, and what the club’s backcourt rotation might look like. Pompey expects Quentin Grimes, assuming he re-signs, to start alongside Tyrese Maxey, with Kelly Oubre at small forward and Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe coming off the bench.

Latest On Raptors’ Search For New Head Of Basketball Ops

July 26th, 2025 at 12:02pm CST by Rory Maher

General manager Bobby Webster is running the Raptors‘ front office for now following the abrupt dismissal of Masai Ujiri at the end of June.

According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, Webster is interested in becoming Toronto’s new head of basketball operations on a permanent basis and seems to be the frontrunner to land the position, but there are a number of other candidates to monitor as well.

A source tells Grange that most of the names that have come up in the search process are “lower-tier executives” who would make sense as complementary additions working under Webster.

However, there are some veteran executives who appear to be in the mix, including Brampton native Marc Eversley, who is currently GM of the Bulls. As Grange writes, Eversley is a board member of Canada Basketball, was previously an assistant GM in Toronto, and has a solid relationship with Webster.

Pacers GM Chad Buchanan is another name on the Raptors’ radar, Grange reports.

According to Grange, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Keith Pelley has met with both Dwane Casey and Monte McNair about the position.

Casey is the Raptors’ former head coach and is currently an executive with the Pistons, while McNair was Sacramento’s GM for five years prior to parting ways with the organization after the 2024/25 season.

One league insider who spoke to Grange suggested that Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard is MLSE’s top choice for the job, though Grange points out that lateral moves for executives under contract with other teams are difficult to pull off.

As for Ujiri, Grange says he would be “very surprised” if Toronto’s longtime former president accepted another NBA job for the upcoming season. In the future, Ujiri could be a candidate to lead an expansion team or run the NBA’s proposed European league, Grange writes.

That said, Ujiri will certainly be linked to any top executive roles that pop up in the coming months, according to Grange, who has heard speculation that the Heat could be a team to monitor, as Pat Riley recently turned 80 years old.

Pacers Notes: Huff, Wiseman, Oladipo, Johnson, Haliburton

July 25th, 2025 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

After losing longtime starting center Myles Turner to the division-rival Bucks, the Pacers will take a “by committee” approach to the position in 2025/26, general manager Chad Buchanan confirmed during an appearance on the Setting The Pace podcast (YouTube link).

The team re-signed Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman earlier this month and made a trade with Memphis to acquire Jay Huff. Veteran journeyman Tony Bradley is also in the mix, though his contract is fully non-guaranteed, so if Jackson and Wiseman are fully recovered from Achilles tears, there may not be room for him on the regular season roster.

Discussing the team’s deal for Huff, Buchanan pointed out that the big man had a huge game against the Pacers’ G League team in the playoffs a couple years ago and added that Indiana’s analytics department had its eye on the 27-year-old for a while.

“Watching him in Memphis this year when he got his opportunity, he really shined,” Buchanan said (hat tip to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). “He had moments of running the floor, finishing lobs, shooting threes, protecting the rim. He’s not a perfect player by any means — he’s got areas that he needs to be better at and improve at. But we felt like what we were losing in Myles and what Jay provided at the age he was at, his basketball IQ, his feel of the game were really good fits for the way we play.”

Buchanan also spoke highly of Jackson and Wiseman, suggesting that Jackson’s skill set will give the Pacers’ lineup a different look and stating that the team remains just as bullish on Wiseman as it was when it first signed him a year ago.

“He’s in a great spot physically,” Buchanan said of the former No. 2 overall pick. “He still has to go through the hurdles of playing in a 5-on-5 game and things like that, but we’re very encouraged with where his recovery is going.”

Here’s more on the Pacers:

Buchanan confirmed on the Setting The Pace podcast that Indiana was among the teams that attended Victor Oladipo‘s workout in Las Vegas (YouTube link). However, he didn’t suggest that a reunion with the former Pacers All-Star is forthcoming . “Obviously, we have a history with Victor,” the Pacers’ GM said (hat tip to Dopirak). “We’re always going to be looking for, if it’s the right player at the right time that fits us, we’re going to have to consider it whether it’s Victor or not. Many teams watched along with us. We get tied to him because he’s a former player of ours. I don’t think we’re any different than any other team that watched him out there.”
Veteran forward James Johnson, who has been with the Pacers for parts of the last three seasons, hopes to continue his playing career, according to Buchanan, though it’s unclear whether Indiana will have room on its roster for him (YouTube link). “Tyrese (Haliburton)’s injury creates a butterfly effect with what we have to plan on and how the roster fits together,” Buchanan said (hat tip to Dopirak). “Right now, it could be challenging to find a spot for James, as much as we want him back.” The GM did acknowledge “that could change,” and it’s worth noting that Johnson didn’t start the 2023/24 season on the Pacers’ roster but was eventually added, first on a non-guaranteed contract, then on 10-day deals, then on a rest-of-season agreement.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube link) this week, Haliburton said that he has been in touch with both Jayson Tatum and Kevin Durant to discuss the recovery process from a torn Achilles. Souichi Terada of MassLive.com has the details

Pacers Sign Rookie Taelon Peter To Two-Way Contract

July 24th, 2025 at 10:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

1:47pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

10:30am: As anticipated, the Pacers and the No. 54 overall pick of the June draft, Taelon Peter, have agreed to a two-way deal, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Indiana general manager Chad Buchanan recently indicated that Peter was in line to receive a two-way contract. The Pacers cleared a spot for the shooting guard by pulling their qualifying offer to Enrique Freeman.

By adding Peter, the Pacers have filled all of their two-way slots. RayJ Dennis and Quenton Jackson have the Pacers’ remaining two-way contracts.

Peter excelled in a sixth man role at Liberty University last season. He only started two of 35 games, yet averaged 13.7 points on 57.8 percent shooting from the field and 45.3 percent from three-point range. He also grabbed 4.0 rebounds and handed out 1.0 assist in 22.7 minutes per contest. Liberty won its conference tournament and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Oregon, a game in which Peter scored eight points.

Peter spent his previous three seasons with Division II Arkansas Tech. In four Summer League appearances, he averaged 9.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 23.6 minutes per game for Indiana.

“We like a lot of things he does as far as playing without the ball, his shooting, his movement. I thought he showed very encouraging signs defending the ball in Las Vegas,” Buchanan said.

Pacers Granted Disabled Player Exception

July 24th, 2025 at 7:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have been granted a disabled player exception worth $14,104,000, general manager Chad Buchanan stated during an appearance on the Setting The Pace podcast (YouTube link).

Indiana was eligible for that exception as a result of Tyrese Haliburton‘s Achilles tear, which will sideline him for the entire 2025/26 season.

“We’ve applied for that and been granted that exception, so I don’t know if I’m breaking news there for you guys,” Buchanan said when asked by co-host Alex Golden about the possibility of the team applying for a DPE. “Whether we use it or not depends. Using the full exception would put us into the luxury tax, which we’re not opposed to if it’s the right player.”

A disabled player exception gives an over-the-cap team some extra spending power – but not an additional 15-man roster spot – when it loses a player to an injury deemed likely to sideline him through at least June 15. As we explain in our glossary entry, the exception can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to acquire a player in a trade.

The disabled player exception can only be used on a single player and can only accommodate a player on a one-year deal. A free agent signee can’t get a multiyear contract, and any trade or waiver target must be in the final year of his contract.

The exception is worth either half the injured player’s salary or the value of the mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. Since Haliburton is earning over $45MM this season, the Pacers’ DPE is worth the amount of the non-taxpayer MLE.

Buchanan, who was asked about the possibility of adding more backcourt depth with Haliburton out for the year, acknowledged that if the front office were to target a specific position, it would likely be a point guard. However, he added that the Pacers haven’t pursued that possibility “super hard” and mentioned RayJ Dennis, Kam Jones, and Quenton Jackson as young guards the team likes and will continue to develop behind Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell.

Indiana is currently operating about $6MM below the luxury tax line. If the club doesn’t use its disabled player exception on a free agent before or during the season, it also could come in handy at the trade deadline. For example, if the Pacers were to trade Obi Toppin and his $14MM salary for a player on an expiring $14MM contract, they could use the DPE to take on that player, creating a new trade exception worth Toppin’s outgoing salary.

It’s worth noting that the Pacers also still have their full $14.1MM mid-level exception available — it can be used to sign free agents and/or acquire players via trade too, and it can be split among multiple players, unlike the DPE.

The deadline to use a disabled player exception is March 10. The mid-level exception can be used until the final day of the regular season.

Enrique Freeman Becomes Unrestricted Free Agent

July 24th, 2025 at 7:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have withdrawn their two-way qualifying offer to forward Enrique Freeman, making him an unrestricted free agent, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.

Freeman, who will turn 25 on Tuesday, was the 50th overall pick in the 2024 draft and appeared in 22 NBA games as a rookie for Indiana, averaging 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per contest.

While Freeman’s impact at the NBA level was very limited, he played well in the G League, averaging 16.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game in 14 outings for the Indiana Mad Ants last season. He also had a strong Summer League showing in Las Vegas this month, registering averages of 16.6 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.8 BPG with an incredible 72.5% mark on field goal attempts, including 55.6% on three-pointers.

However, RayJ Dennis and Quenton Jackson hold two of the Pacers’ two-way slots and it appears likely that second-round pick Taelon Peter will get the third, as general manager Chad Buchanan confirmed during a recent appearance on the Setting The Pace podcast (YouTube link). That left Freeman as the odd man out.

The deadline to unilaterally withdraw a restricted free agent’s qualifying offer passed earlier this month, but teams are still permitted to rescind those QOs with the player’s consent, so it’s safe to assume Freeman signed off on this move. Becoming an unrestricted free agent will allow him to choose his next opportunity without Indiana controlling the process.

Haliburton Unsure Why Achilles Tears Have Seemingly Increased

July 22nd, 2025 at 9:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tyrese Haliburton doesn’t have a theory about why he and other NBA players have suffered Achilles tendon tears. The Pacers star guard made his first public comments since suffering that injury in Game 7 of the Finals, which is expected to sideline him all of next season, during ESPN’s ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Tuesday.

“I think that there’s like a notion when guys get injured or when this has happened so many times that everybody thinks that they have the answer to why this is happening,” Haliburton said, per an ESPN story. “Everybody thinks we play too many games, we play too many minutes — all those things could be true, but I don’t think that is what’s causing these injuries.”

Haliburton was among three star players in the postseason and seven NBA players overall to go down with serious Achilles injuries during the 2024/25 season. Nuggets rookie DaRon Holmes also sustained an Achilles tear during Summer League last July.

“I don’t think that anybody has necessarily the answer,” Haliburton said. “I think injuries are just bad luck sometimes and that’s just what happened. I think that’s just what happens in sports sometimes.”

As it’s often described, Haliburton felt the sensation of someone kicking him in the back of the leg when the injury occurred and realized immediately what the diagnosis would be. Haliburton had been battling through a calf injury and was devastated that he couldn’t help his team win a championship in the decisive contest against the Thunder.

“I think I was just hurt that I wasn’t going to be out there,” Haliburton said, as relayed by Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “I think it was all those emotions coming at once, but I wasn’t thinking about next year or what’s led up to this. All I was thinking about was being in the moment of Game 7 and that happening definitely sucked.”

Haliburton underwent an MRI after Game 5, when the calf injury was constantly on his mind and he scored only four points. He was told by doctors if it were the regular season he would have had to sit out a few weeks. But since it was the Finals, he was determined to play. He was able to pass a calf stress test prior to Game 6.

“After Game 6, I’m like ‘it’s done, it’s gone, adrenaline is going to get to me, I’m going to be good,'” Haliburton said. “I go to Game 7, I feel nothing. I feel great going into the game. I think that’s why I had a great start to the game. My body felt great. Then obviously, that happens in the end.”

Haliburton is still in the early stages of his rehab. He’s using a scooter and keeping the leg mostly elevated, so he’s mainly been working on his upper body strength. He looks at next season as a time to heal while remaining a team leader and becoming a de facto assistant coach.

“I haven’t even thought about what the season will call for,” Haliburton said. “I probably won’t be traveling as much early in the year depending on what stage of rehab I’m in. But I still want to be around the guys as much as possible. I think I want to take this time to keep growing my mind for the game. Being around coach (Rick) Carlisle. Sit in on coaches meetings. (President of basketball operations) (Kevin) Pritchard, talking to those guys and helping. I feel like I have a pretty decent basketball mind myself. So I’m just trying to help the guys as best as I can. I’m going to be on the bench as soon as I can walk.”

You can access the video of the interview here.

Pacers Notes: Furphy, Dennis, Q. Jackson, Jones, More

July 21st, 2025 at 3:55pm CST by Rory Maher

Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard recently said Johnny Furphy has added 20 pounds of muscle to his frame and it showed in the confident way he attacked the rim at the Las Vegas Summer League, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required).

As Dopirak details, Furphy had one of the top highlights of Summer League, throwing down a vicious poster slam on Bulls lottery pick Noa Essengue (YouTube link), and shot 76.9% on twos (10-of-13), though he made just 25.0% of his three-point looks (3-of-12). Furphy posted solid-if-unspectacular numbers in three appearances in Vegas, averaging 11.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.0 SPG in 22.9 MPG, with turnovers being an issue (2.7 per contest).

Furphy, who was selected 35th overall in last year’s draft, had a modest role with Indiana as a rookie last season, making 50 regular season appearances while averaging 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game. While he seems likely to be outside of the rotation to open 2025/26, the 20-year-old should get a crack at regular minutes if an injury occurs on the wing, Dopirak notes.

Here’s more on the Pacers from Dopirak:

As he enters his second NBA season, RayJ Dennis appears to be the frontrunner for third-string point guard duties despite being on a two-way contract, according to Dopirak. With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined for ’25/26, Andrew Nembhard is expected to start, with T.J. McConnell as the primary backup. The 24-year-old Dennis tied for a Summer League-high with 7.3 assists per game (against 3.8 turnovers) in four contests and showed his familiarity with the team’s uptempo offense, Dopirak writes. Dennis also averaged 15.8 PPG on .420/.400/.846 shooting splits (27.7 MPG) and, at least as of now, looks to be ahead of Quenton Jackson and rookie Kam Jones on the depth chart; Jackson is also on a two-way deal, while Jones received a standard contract after being selected No. 38 overall out of Marquette.
Speaking of Jackson, Dopirak says he was arguably the most impactful player on the Summer League roster in his one appearance, posting 24 points on just 10 field goal attempts and recording three assists and two steals in 26 minutes. Dennis is more of a facilitator, but head coach Rick Carlisle showed he had faith in Jackson last season amid injuries and the 26-year-old guard is a better and more versatile defender than Dennis, Dopirak observes.
As for Jones, he showed flashes of why the Pacers made him a second-round pick at Summer League, averaging 13.5 PPG, 5.2 APG, 3.8 RPG and 1.8 SPG on .488/.333/.750 shooting in four games in Vegas (26.3 MPG). However, the 23-year-old might need to spend some time in the G League with the Noblesville Boom to open the season, according to Dopirak, who points out that Jones had some rough patches on both ends of the court despite solid-looking counting stats.
The Pacers have a two-way qualifying offer out to Enrique Freeman, who shined in Vegas, averaging 16.6 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.0 APG and 1.8 BPG while shooting 72.5% from the floor in five games (27.8 MPG). But Dopirak views No. 54 overall pick Taelon Peter — one of several unsigned second-rounders — as a better bet to fill Indiana’s third and final two-way spot. The former Liberty guard thrived in transition in Summer League, Dopirak writes, and although his stats were far more modest than Freeman’s (9.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.8 APG in 23.6 MPG), the former Akron big man has distinct limitations, notably being forward-sized (6’7″ and 220 pounds) but functionally playing like a center.
Assistant coach Isaac Yacob deserves credit for having the Summer League team emulating the Pacers’ distinctive style in a short period of time, per Dopirak. In addition to being the head coach in Vegas, Yacob has helped several players on the roster improve and is close to Haliburton, so his standing in the organization is on the rise, says Dopirak.

And-Ones: Summer League, Clifford, Barton, Apron Teams

July 18th, 2025 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings and Raptors will square off in one of the semifinal matchups at the Las Vegas Summer League on Saturday, while the Thunder and Hornets will match up in the other semifinal, according to an announcement from the NBA (Twitter link).

Those clubs are four of the six who have gone undefeated in Vegas and earned spots in the final four due to their point differential edge over the 4-0 Timberwolves and Hawks. The winners of Saturday’s semifinals will play in the Summer League championship game on Sunday night before the event wraps up.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

As impressive as No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg was during his brief stint with the Mavericks‘ Summer League team, Kings guard Nique Clifford beat Flagg out as the best rookie in Las Vegas, according to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton. Pelton also names Trail Blazers big man Yang Hansen the “most intriguing” rookie in Summer League, Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears as the slowest-starting rookie, and Jazz big man Kyle Filipowski as the best second-year performer.
Veteran guard Will Barton, who spent 11 seasons in the NBA from 2012-23, is joining the DMV Trilogy in the BIG3 and will make his debut for the 3×3 team this Sunday, according to a report from Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Barton hasn’t been on an NBA roster since finishing a rest-of-season contract with Toronto in 2023. The 34-year-old has played in Spain, Puerto Rico, and China since then.
In an in-depth story for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks takes a look at which teams are members of the NBA’s “apron club” this season and which clubs are positioned to cross that threshold within the next year or two if they don’t end up shedding salary.
The Pistons‘ acquisition of sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, the Heat‘s trade for swingman Norman Powell, and the Pacers‘ addition of big man Jay Huff are a few of the top “under-the-radar” moves that have been made so far this offseason, says Fred Katz of The Athletic.